Technical Ecstasy (CD)

Black Sabbath

Amoeba Review

Jeff Hunt 06/11/2010

Black Sabbath were always a hit with the kids, and in the mid-70s, they finally got belated – and overdue – accolades from the critics, thanks to some experimentation that broadened and deepened their sound. Technical Ecstasy is the band’s seventh album, released in September of 1976, and it continues to float away from the bog-water stomp of the earlier releases. The opening track, “Back Street Kids,” is vintage Sabbath thrash, and “All Moving Parts (Stand Still) is suspiciously reminiscent of the riff from “Sweet Leaf” (which is a good thing); but elsewhere there are some peculiar moments, including “It’s Alright,” a ballad sung by drummer Bill Ward. It should be noted that the cover art is by legendary design firm Hypgnosis and depicts two robots having conceptual sex.